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What is a long dash called?
The dash (—), also called the em dash, is the long horizontal bar, much longer than a hyphen. Few keyboards have a dash, but a word processor can usually produce one in one way or another. American usage, in contrast, uses two consecutive hyphens — like this (A). …
What are the different types of dashes?
There are two types of dash. The en dash is approximately the length of the letter n, and the em dash the length of the letter m. The shorter en dash (–) is used to mark ranges. The longer em dash (—) is used to separate extra information or mark a break in a sentence.
What is the difference between an em dash and an en dash?
When to Use Em Dashes The em dash (about as wide as an uppercase M), is a relatively artistic punctuation mark, compared to the more technical hyphen and en dash. An em dash is most often used to indicate a pause in a sentence.
What is the em dash?
The Em Dash: An Introduction Like commas and parentheses, em dashes set off extra information, such as examples, explanatory or descriptive phrases, or supplemental facts. Like a colon, an em dash introduces a clause that explains or expands upon something that precedes it.
What are the 3 types of dashes?
There are three forms of dashes: em, en, and the double hyphen. The most common types of dashes are the en dash (–) and the em dash (—). A good way to remember the difference between these two dashes is to visualize the en dash as the length of the letter N and the em dash as the length of the letter M.
When should I use an em dash?
The em dash can be used in place of a colon when you want to emphasize the conclusion of your sentence. The dash is less formal than the colon. After months of deliberation, the jurors reached a unanimous verdict—guilty. The white sand, the warm water, the sparkling sun—this is what brought them to Fiji.
What is em dash example?
Use em dashes in place of commas or parentheses to create a break in a sentence. Examples: Please call my lawyer—Richard Smith—on Tuesday. This sentence could also be written with commas or parentheses.
When to use an em dash ( long dash )?
The long dash is the widest of the three horizontal marks that may be used in the middle of a sentence. It is wider than an en dash (–) or a hyphen (-). The term “em dash” comes from the field of typography—an “em” is a width equivalent to the height of a given font.
Which is wider an em dash or a hyphen?
It is wider than an en dash (–) or a hyphen (-). The term “em dash” comes from the field of typography—an “em” is a width equivalent to the height of a given font. Thus, an em dash in 9-point type is as long as the height of a basic letter in 9-point type. Not all fonts and keyboards allow you to produce a long em dash.
How are hyphens converted to long dashes in Microsoft Word?
When you insert hyphens in text in Microsoft Word, some of the hyphens are converted into long dashes (also called en dashes). For example, you type the following text: The following words -ants can see legs- are enclosed in hyphens.When you do this, you find that the first hyphen is converted into an en dash, but the second one remains unchanged.
Are there two types of punctuation marks called Dashes?
There are two similar but distinct punctuation marks called dashes: the en dash ( – ) and the em dash ( — ).